[NYTr] Some Progress for War Resisters Support Campaign in Canada

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Workers World - Dec 20, 2007
http://www.workers.org/2007/world/war_resisters-1220

Victory for U.S. war resisters in Canada

By Dee Knight

The War Resisters Support Campaign (WRSC) in Canada scored a victory
Dec. 5 when the Parliament’s Committee on Citizenship and Immigration
passed a motion that would grant U.S. war resisters the right to stay
legally. All three parties on the committee that are in opposition to
the governing Conservative Party—an ally of George Bush—united to pass
the motion.

The motion still needs to pass in the full Parliament.

“This motion is a very important step forward,” the WRSC said, “after
the Supreme Court ruled on Nov. 15 that it would not hear the appeals
of U.S. war resisters in their refugee claims. It shows a willingness
of the opposition parties in Canada’s Parliament to come together to
ensure that none of these resisters is returned to the U.S., where they
face court-martials, incarceration and possible deployment to Iraq.”

The victory followed rallies in eight cities across Canada and an
intensive WRSC lobbying effort. It built on a national anti-war
demonstration in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, in August, at which Iraq war
veteran and former Sgt. Phil McDowell was a featured speaker. McDowell
told the demonstrators he refused to report for a second tour in Iraq
after serving there for a year in 2004-5, and determined that the war
was immoral and illegal. He called on the audience to press the
government to say no to Bush and yes to U.S. war resisters.

McDowell took the same message to the Parliamentary Committee, telling
the members about numerous GIs who refused to fight in Iraq, did prison
time and then received bad conduct discharges—a permanent felony record.

Olivia Chow, a close friend of the War Resister Support Campaign, had
introduced the motion. Chow represents a Toronto neighborhood that is
home to the WRSC office. Following the committee vote, Chow said:
“Canadians said no to George Bush’s illegal invasion of Iraq. Now
Canadians want Parliament to let the war resisters stay in Canada.”

As the New Democratic Party’s main spokesperson on immigration, Chow is
also leading a significant move that would have Canada buck the tide of
anti-immigrant hysteria that has gripped right-wing and ruling class
elements in the U.S. and some European countries.

While celebrating this important victory, the WRSC said, “There is
still much work to be done to ensure that this motion translates into
real protection for war resisters.”

Parliament closes Dec. 13 for the holiday break, which lasts until
early February. The WRSC is calling a pan-Canadian mobilization on Jan.
26 to ensure that deportation proceedings against U.S. war resisters
currently in Canada cease immediately; and that the full Parliament
passes a law ensuring that U.S. war resisters refusing to fight in Iraq
can stay in Canada and become legal residents.

“The best way to think of it,” said one WRSC member, “is as a stepping
stone or a springboard. Just one victory—with the chance for more.” The
struggle continues.

Articles copyright 1995-2007 Workers World. Verbatim copying and
distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without
royalty provided this notice is preserved.

Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww at workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe at workersworld.net